Healthy Minds

Prospective users

Aims & approach

The program aims to equip students, staff, and parents with the tools they need to better support their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of other students. This is achieved by:

• teaching psychological skills to students
• engaging school staff to support, connect, and refer students while implementing the wellbeing program
• improving parents' knowledge of their children's psychological development.

The main component of the program is for Year 7 or Year 8 cohorts, with supplementary components at other year levels and also for staff and parents.

The program includes:

• 10 visits to the school (or the equivalent service delivered via remote learning)
• a 1-day teacher training workshop
• a Year 7 or 8 term-long program
• the Year 7 or 8 parent night
• a teachers' guide with detailed lesson plans, links, worksheets, and resources
• student workbooks
• weekly Parent Modules
• flexible 'boosters' (up to 3 hours' presentation time) for other year levels, staff, or parents
• accreditation as a Healthy Minds School (accreditation is renewed annually).

Intended outcomes

• Increased knowledge of mental health, social-emotional wellbeing, and psychological skills across students, teachers, and parents
• Reduced risk for the onset of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders among students
• Greater awareness in teachers of how young people can have a healthy mind
• The school establishes a common framework and language related to wellbeing, which can be widely known and used within the whole school
• Creating a 'culture of wellbeing' with a prevention-focused approach to mental health within the whole school community
  
  

Implementation support

• Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor
• Implementation training webinars or modules
• Ongoing helpdesk, email or phone support

Evidence

Theoretical underpinnings of the skills taught include preventive psychology, cognitive-behaviour therapy, transdiagnostic theory, acceptance and commitment therapy, media literacy, and positive psychology. It has reached over 50,000 people through workshops and presentations across Australia and overseas.

The Healthy Minds program itself has been subject to a university controlled trial, published in Behaviour Research and Therapy (2015), showing:

• A significant prevention effect for symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Significant reduction in perfectionism over 12-month follow-up

Government Schools Implementation Trial (2019) found positive outcomes regarding educator and student perceptions of the program. For example, 100% of teachers believed program will assist students' mental health and 72% of students would recommend to others.